Gates will lead U.S. delegation to Manama

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will lead the American delegation to the 4th annual Gulf regional security summit known as the Manama Dialogue.

Delegations from 23 governments in the Gulf and around the world will attend the summit next month in the Bahraini capital, said a statement this week from its organizers, London-based think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Other delegations would be led by officials "of a corresponding seniority," the statement said.

Issues at the public plenary sessions include, "The United States and the Regional Balance of Power; Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia; Energy and Regional Security; Territorial Integrity, Borders and Gulf Security; Iraq and the Neighborhood; and Regional Framework for Gulf Security."

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